Apparatus for generating vibrations in liquids



Dec. 12, 1967 V H FRYKHULT 3,

APPARATUS FOR GENERATING IIBRATEONS IN LIQUIDS Filed April 20, 1966 /53' FIG.1 51.

United States Patent APPARATUS FOR GENERATING VIBRATIONS I IN LIQUIDS Rune Helmer Frykhult, Johanneshov, Sweden, assignor to Aktiebolaget A. Elrstroms Maskinaifar, Stockholm, Sweden, a joint-stock company of Sweden Filed Apr. 20, 1966, Ser. No. 543,918 Claims priority, application Sweden, Apr. 22, 1965, 5,206/ 65 5 Claims. (Cl. 259-4) The present invention relates to apparatus for forming gases into very fine bubbles and to mix these bubbles uniformly with one or more liquids having different composition or pressure, and is concerned more specifically with apparatus for generating vibrations in liquids particularly within the ultra-sonorous range, which may, for example, be used for the admixture of air in a fibre reclaiming installation that operates according to the principle of flotation. With insignificant modification the apparatus may be used for an efiicient and swift mixing of liquids such as paints, and/ or for disintegrating agglomerations in substance mixtures.

Apparatus are priorly known using ultra-sonorous vi brations for distributing air finely in a liquid. The liquid is made to flow with a high velocity and is directed toward a vibrator body which will be caused to vibrate thereby.

It is an object of the invention to provide an apparatus for this and other purposes specified herein which requires less power and/or operates efficiently, which further requires less space and is more readily cleared, when obstr-ucted, and which is less expensive to manufacture than the known structures.

The said objects will be achieved substantially along the lines set out below.

The vibrator body (of which there may be provide-d a plurality) is caused to vibrate by a high pressure liquid, which is directed towards one end of the vibrator body, as already known in the art, but according to the invention the opposite end portion of each vibrator body is actuated by a second liquid, mostly of a low pressure. The vibrator bodies thus may also be used for finely distributing gases which are admixed to the low pressure liquid. The time distribution of the gases in the low pressure liquid is caused, besides by the vibrations of the vibrator body or bodies, also by cavitation and by the violent turbulence generated by the high pressure liquid. By providing, according to a further feature of the invention, a plurality of vibrator bodies in a sealed housing with hingedly mounted end walls, an inexpensive, compact and readily cleaned unit will be obtained.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the drawing.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is an elevation view of a unit according to the invention, and

FIG. 2 a cross section on the line II--II in FIG. 1.

In the drawing, denotes a preferably cylindrically shaped housing with two axially spaced sets of uniformly spaced projections 11 from its inside, and an outlet union 12. and 21 are hingedly mounted end plates in which exchangeable nozzles 22 and 23, respectively, are mounted. The hinge of these end plates are denoted 24 and 25, respectively. A dome-d end wall 30 and 31, respectively, is mounted outside each end plate 20, 21 by means of hinges 32 and 33, respectively. The sealed chambers 34 and 35, respectively, defined between the members 20, 30 on one side and 21, 31 on the other are provided to ensure an exactly equal liquid distribution to the nozzles. Vibrator bodies 40, preferably of an elongated cylindrical shape with pointed end portions are secured to the projections 11 by means of screw members 41 and disposed coaxially with opposed nozzles 22 and 23. They are of such a length that their pointed ends are close to the respective nozzles. The vibrator bodies may have their middle portion by which they are secured to the projections 11 somewhat thickened, as illustrated.

The high pressure liquid and the low pressure liquid are fed to the respective end chambers 34, 35 through flexible hoses 50 and 51, connected to pipe unions at each end wall. The flexible hoses 50, 51 permit the turning of the end walls upon their hinges when the interior of the unit shall be made accessible for removing obstructions from the nozzles, and the like.

Liquid inlets are denoted 53 and 54, and for supplying gas (usually air) to exactly the desired quantity a rotary metering valve 60 is provided as well as an inlet union 52. Through the latter a certain proportion of gas may be fed, and through the metering valve 60 an exact desired additive quantity may be supplied by making the rotation speed of the valve dependent of the liquid flow variations. A second rotary metering valve 61 is provided for accurate dispensing of liquid or gaseous chemical sub stances or compounds, for instance. This metering valve, as well, may be provided with control means for varying the rotational speed in dependence of the vibrations in liquid flow as well as the fluctuating pH-number.

Hinged bolt means or excenter fasteners 70 and 71 are provided for sealingly closing the end walls and end plates against each other and against the housing end faces.

The apparatus functions in the following way:

The liquid distributing chambers 34 and 35 communicate each with a pressure source, one having a greater pressure than the other. Both ends of the vibrator bodies 40 are hit by liquid jets from the nozzles 22 and 23, and are made to vibrate thereby. The coarse bubbles and agglomerates present in the two liquids will become finely divided and thoroughly mixed with the liquids, and the latter will become thoroughly mixed, as well, by reason of the vibrations of the bodies 40, by cavitation and by turbulence. The resulting product is drawn off through the outlet union 12.

All energy supplied (also that one from the low pressure liquid) thus is used for finely distributing the admixed gas or gases. The vibrations of the vibrator bodies will be transmitted uniformly and thoroughly also to the low pressure liquid. Owing to the fact that a certain proportion of the gas supplied to the low pressure liquid also will become finely distributed (whereas no gas will be supplied to the low pressure liquid in known apparatus), the proportion of high pressure liquid may he reduced with a resulting reduced need for power, compared with known apparatus. The symmetrical liquid distribution of liquid to the vibrator bodies and the efficient mixing of high and low presure liquid also exert an influence in reducing the power requirements and increasing the efiiciency.

If impurities carried along by the liquids are of such a size that the nozzles become obstructed, there will be free access to all nozzles after loosening the fastening bolts and swinging the end walls 30 and 31 aside. If impurities are trapped between the nozzles and the vibrator bodies, the mere swinging out of the end plates will as a rule cause the pasageways to be opened up.

The invention is not restricted to the embodiment illustrated and described, but can be modified in many respects.

If the means 52, 60 and 61 for admixing gases or chemical substances are left out, the apparatus may be employed for instance for defibrating cellulose pulp. In that case the pulp is supplied through the hoses 50 and 51 with equal pressure to the two chambers 34 and 35.

Alternatively, different pressures may be advantageously employed in certain cases.

The illustrated means 52, 60 and 61 may be modified according to the requirements in different cases. It is also feasible to supply all gases and/r chemical substances to solely the high pressure liquid, or the low pressure liquid.

The drawing illustrates eight vibrator bodies, corresponding to twice as many nozzles, but the number of vibrator bodies may be varied at will. If only a single vibrator body is necessary, it might preferably be mounted in the center line of the apparatus. The drawing also illustrates two rotary metering valves, but such valves may be provided in any desired number.

It is also possible to employ the invention for other uses than those mentioned hereinbefore, such as black liquor oxidation in the cellulose pulp industry.

What I claim is:

1. An apparatus for generating vibrations in liquids, particularly within the ultra-sonorous range, by means of at least one vibrator body which is caused by the liquid to vibrate, for example, for distributing gases finely in liquids, or for disintegrating thickened substance in substance mixtures, said at least one vibrator body being disposed between nozzles for directing liquid jets toward both ends of said vibrator body.

2. An apparatus for generating vibrations in liquids, preferably within the ultra-sonorous range, said apparatus comprising a housing, opposed nozzle means within said housing, spaced away from each other, liquid inlet means at opposite end portions of said housing, liquid outlet means at an intermediary portion of said housing, said nozzle means defining in part liquid paths between said liquid inlet means and said liquid outlet means, and at least one vibrator body provided between opposed nozzle means, to be submitted to vibrations by liquid flowing between said inlet means and said outlet means.

3. An apparatus for generating vibrations in liquids, preferably within the ultra-sonorous range, said apparatus comprising a generally cylindrical housing having end portions each formed of one outer and one inner end wall, each outer end wall defining together with the corresponding inner end Wall an end chamber, liquid inlet means at each end chamber, liquid outlet means at the housing intermediate said inner end Walls, a plurality of nozzle means provided in each of said inner end walls, the nozzle means in one of said inner end walls being directly opposed the nozzle means in the other of said inner end walls, double-ended elongated vibrator bodies being rigidly mounted between said inner end walls with their center lines substantially coaxial with the center lines of opposed nozzle means, and with pointed end portions disposed at a short distance from the corresponding nozzle means.

4. A vibration generating apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein said outer end walls and said inner end walls are hingedly connected to said housing, clampi means being provided for bringing said end walls at each end into sealing contact with each other and with said housing.

5. A vibration generating apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein said nozzle means comprise uniformly spaced nozzles mounted in each of said inner end walls, there being a central convergent bore in each nozzle, said vibrator bodies having a generally cylindrical shape, preferably with conical end portions, the middle portion of each vibrator body being preferably somewhat thickened, inwardly projecting means being provided at the inner wall of said housing, to form support members for said vibrator bodies, and to engage securing means for said bodies, such as screws.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/1965 Jones 259-4 11/1966 Guerin 259 4 

2. AN APPARATUS FOR GENERATING VIBRATIONS IN LIQUIDS, PREFERABLY WITHIN THE ULTRA-SONOROUS RANGE, SAID APPARATUS COMPRISING A HOUSING, OPPOSED NOZZLE MEANS WITHIN SAID HOUSING, SPACED AWAY FROM EACH OTHER, LIQUID INLET MEANS AT OPPOSITE END PORTIONS OF SAID HOUSING, LIQUID OUTLET MEANS AT AN INTERMEDIARY PORTION OF SAID HOUSING, SAID NOZZLE MEANS DEFINING IN PART LIQUID PATHS BETWEEN SAID 